And Nobody Knew
by EternallySerenity
Summary: Cloud goes over in his mind about Aeris coming back to life then being murdered, as he lays at the bottom of a cliff, hanging to life by a thread, and no one knows where to look. One person has an idea at where he is, but is also hiding a dark secret...
1. Accident

I do not own FF7… Be warned, this might be a little depressing… Some of the events might be out of order, so I'm sorry.

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Cloud stood at the waters edge, watching Aeris's smiling face drift deeper and deeper down into the water. His face was dark, and nobody could see he was about to break apart.

Cid put a hand on Cloud's shoulder, trying to comfort him, but it was quickly shoved away, as Cloud walked off, and speeding away on his motorcycle.

For once, Yuffie wasn't smiling; her face was a mix between grief, and sorrow, and pity.

Slowly, everyone walked off in different directions, going to the tavern, or their own places. Not a word was spoken between them.

Meanwhile, Cloud was riding back towards the orphanage, when suddenly the life stream cracked through the Earth in front of him, he tried to swerve and avoid it, but went to low and too fast, then crashed through some trees, falling forever to him it seemed, but he didn't yell for help or even speak a word- he didn't care anymore. It was the same way when he grunted in pain as he landed on the rocky plains far below.

He waited a couple of moments before he let out his breath.

He could already feel something sticky running down his face; it was so dense he couldn't even open his eyes, which burned anyways.

His breathing became more jagged, as some of the pain finally began to dawn over his body.

Cloud took in a deep, shaky breath, holding back the tears of frustration, pain, and grief, as he drifted into unconsciousness …

He woke a little while later, in the pitch dark. Not a sound could be heard. He tried to get back up, but felt numbness in his legs. He couldn't move them at all.

" Oh…Great." He said, shocked at the grief in his voice. He closed his eyes, still remembering of what happened earlier that day…

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" _Cloud, why can't you just be happy? She's back for God's sake, you should be overjoyous! Tifa said, putting back a few of the dishes in the Seventh Heaven Bar._

" _I AM happy! It's- It almost seems too good to be true." Cloud said, smiling, as Aeris walked into the door._

" _Hello Cloud. The other children were just looking for you. Would you care to join me in playing tag with them?" Aeris asked, in her kind, soft voice._

_Cloud couldn't help but to say yes; it was as if she had cast a spell over him, his heart just chased after her._

_After they left, Tifa kept on washing dishes, feeling a twinge of jealousy. She was glad Aeris had returned from the lifestream; in fact, everyone was. It was just now, with Aeris back, she couldn't get any closer to Cloud then she had hoped. She wondered if she was able to ever be with him, or if she should give up ..._

_CRACK!_

_She jumped back, startled, at the broken dish, and the blood running down her hands. She stared down at them in shock for a few moments, then shook her head, and went to clean up._

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Cloud opened his eyes again to find it was daylight. The morning breeze blew around him, calming him down a little bit.

Yes, he remembered that all too well…When Aeris came back…After 2 years without her, the Life stream permitted her back into this world.He was happy with her for 8 short months.

And then, tragedy struck again.

They had woken up to the sound of Tifa's hysterical screaming, Cloud and Vincent running into Aeris's room, only to find her collapsed in Tifa's arms, tears running down her face, as Aeris's blood dripped down her dress.

She sobbed out the story, upon seeing the Clones jump and crash through the window, shooting everywhere as Kadaj slashed at Tifa, but Aeris jumped in the way, protecting her from bullets and the angry slashings. When they had disappeared upon Tifa screaming, Aeris had collapsed. All three of them could plainly see the slashes and bullet marks.

Cloud had to bury her again.

It was twice as heart wrenching, because he knew that she was never coming back, and so did everyone else, on that day when they saw her face disappear beneath the waters for the last time.

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Ok, chapter one is done!

Please review, and I'm sorry if this stunk a little bit, but I'm working REALLY hard on the next chapter.


	2. Reconization

I don't own Final Fantasy 7 ….All rights to Square Enix…

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Cloud laid uncomfortably where he had been for almost two days…He looked at his surroundings, and discovered he was in an opening in the middle of the forest.

_Great._He thought,_NOBODY is going to be able to find me here._

He then remembered he had a cellphone in his bike seat. He looked around, not seeing it anywhere. Tired, hungry,and dehydrated, he laid his head back down, looking up and being startled.

His motorcycle was in a tree.

_Ok, God REALLY doesn't like me…_ He thought angrily.

He tried again to move his legs, but they felt glued to the ground.

" HEEEEELP! TIIIFA!!! ANYOOONE!?" He shouted, his voice crackling from lack of moisture. Cloud's voice echoed endlessly up the cliff wall.

Now, he knew, he would never survive.

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" Cloud!"

" CLOUD!"

" STRIFE! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

" DINGBAT!"

They all stared at Cid.

" Just tryin' to lighten up the mood." He grumbled.

Tifa was the most worried one. She knew he was either hurt or lost; and she was leaning towards being hurt, because he would have called them by now.

Vincent turned into Galian Beast, and ran at high speeds down the cliffs, occasionally stopping and sniffing for Cloud's scent.

They searched and searched until long after dark, when they were tired, hungry, and couldn't yell anymore.

Sadly, everyone went home, except Tifa and Vincent. Tifa wasn't about to let her friend and secret crush die, and Vincent could see in the dark.

Together, they both scaled down the cliff

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Cloud could hear voices coming down the cliff side, and he tried to yell out, butshrank back in pain, as fresh blood came out of his mouth. His body was taking desperate measurers to save him from death. One of those was to draw oxygen and water from his blood.

The voices were closer , as he could hear the shuffling feet, and what sounded like a large dog.

He moved his arms around, hoping they would see the motion, as again he tried to yell, but all that came out was a wheeze.

The footsteps were SO close, he was sure he was going to be rescued. Then, without warning, they turned back around and faded away.

His heartbeat quickened; he had to get them back to where he was, he knew that he was going to be dead within a day. He slowly sat up, hissing in pain, then waved his arms around, which were snapping.

But the footsteps were long gone.

He crumpled back to the ground, on the verge of tears, but knew he shouldn't weep, because that would only make him pass away quicker.

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Tifa sat in her own bedroom, silently weeping.

She held a photo of her, Aeris, and Cloud, that was taken none too long ago, and she had felt so loved and happy then.

Aeris was like a sister to her, but the memories of her holding the dead Aeris in her arms, made her cry twice as hard. Now she had lost both of them, and felt more lonesome then she ever had before. She rolled over onto her side a few minutes, later, tears still pouring down her face. She was still as so when Vincent came into her room, hearing her sobbing. He sat down next to her, telling her everything was alright, he was still alive out there, and they would find him soon. She listened quietly, as he told stories of him and Lucrecia, even though she knew it hurt him when he talked about it. She felt his hand stroking her hair, as he told of the time when he had been resting in the grass, as she stood over him, telling him to not sleep on the job, and giggling when he flustered and tried to lie. Tifa was slowly closing her eyes, him stroking her hair had calmed her down, and she drifted off into a half sleep, as she mumbled thanks, as the darkness took over her mind, ad his voice turned into tinkling bells…

_Tifa… I know you can hear me…_

_Tifa turned around, seeing nobody. Looking everywhere, she decided it was nothing. Turning back around, she gasped and almost choked in surprise as she saw the rotting, dripping wet Aeris with crusted blood still on her dress._

_Tifa…I know where Cloud is…_

_Her blood ran cold at the sight of the dead woman, and flashbacks ran through her head when she held her, dead in her arms._

_Tifa…Go back to where you were…Hurry…You don't want him to end up like me,do you?_

_With that Aeris turned back around, walking off. When she was completely sure she was gone, Tifa turned back around, screaming her head off, at the skeleton right in front of her._

_I KNOW WHO MURDERED ME TIFA LOCKHART! AND IT ISN'T WHO YOU WOULD SUSPECT! It yelled in a raspy voice, fire surrounding it, as it eerily smiled, then dissipated into the ground. She sighed in relief, about to walk off, when the skeletal arm shot out of the ground, grasping her leg, and dragged her towards a hole._

_She screamed louder then she ever thought she could, kicking at the hand, but it wouldn't let go, and she screamed even louder when she was dragged over the side._

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Tifa woke up screaming, as the whole crew came into the room. She then realized she was in cold sweat, and breathing hard.

" I-I…Know where Cloud is." She barely breathed out, as she rushed to the front door.

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Hey, I know, I know. This probably sucks.

But this does raise the question: If it wasn't he Clones who killed aeris, who did?

Please review, and if you think you have a clue, then go ahead and guess!

But its someone you would never expect….

And the reason Cloud is able to see know is because the sun made the blood sort of melt off his face and his eyes...Yeah..


	3. Traumatizing

Me: Disclaimer. Don't own FF7 .

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Tifa didn't wait for the rest of the crew as she ran the 3 miles to where they were.

She was scared; it could only be a matter of minutes before Cloud was finally found; and only a matter of minutes before he could die. She could already imagine him with tears of blood dried on his face, his soft blue eyes glazed over, and she would lean her head on his chest and not hear the comforting heartbeat she longed would be there.

A few minutes later, running along side of her was REDXIII, and Galian Beast. Vincent gave her the ' are-you-crazy-what-if-he-was-attacked-by-the-clones-and-they-were-still-there-to-kill-you-you-would-be-all-alone' look. Tifa didn't care; and he realized that a little while later, as they ran down the cliff.

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_Cloud…Cloud…Someone is coming…You have got to wake up._ Whispered a soft, familiar voice.

He immediantly opened his eyes, as if he were under a spell…He then realized it was Aeris talking to him.

" A..Eris?" He heard his crackling, dehydrated voice whisper.

There wasn't any other sound.

He suddenly heard crackling of branches and dry grass, as more footsteps were heard; it sounded like the same ones last night, but with two dogs.

" Vince…Tifa..Red." He whispered, as his eyes slowly closed, drifting off to sleep.

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" CLOUD! CLOUD!" Tifa shouted, going a little further then she had gone before.

Galian Beast had gone to the northern and Western ends of the forest, and Tifa with REDXIII searched the other sides.

" Tifa..I can since a weak life force…Maybe its him." RedXIII said, leading her towards a dark mass.

" CLOUD!" Tifa yelled, running to his side. They both heard Vincent coming back, as he stepped through the bushes, then changed back to normal.

" He's in such bad shape…" Tifa said quietly, tears running down her face, staring at the blood stains in his hair and on his face.

" T..ifa." She heard him mumble, and cough slightly.

" He's dehydrated, and has lost close to half his blood." Vincent said.

" How do you know?"

" His face is pale, he's lost the ability to sweat, and his voice is raspy. And the ground is soaked with blood."

All three suddenly looked up to see the Highwind above them, and a ladder coming down to them.

Vincent changed back into Galian Beast, and picked up Cloud, draping him across his shoulder, as he bounded up, followed by RedXIII, then Tifa.

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" What the # is #$&#$& happened to the #$&&#?!" Cid exclaimed in his own version of being worried.

Cloud was slightly breathing, and had already been given water; there was no danger in the field of him dying from dehydration.

Tifa was sitting in the back of the room, and only came out when everyone had left. She stood next to Cloud, his face a beautiful pale. She couldn't help it; even though he was close to death just a few hours ago, he looked heavenly when sleeping. She drew her hand down his face and stopped short when she remembered Aeris. Cloud was still Aeris's and that was one thing Tifa would not defy. Besides, she still needed to find out who murdered her.

Cloud slowly opened his eyes to see a teary eyed Tifa at his side.

" H..ey..What are..you crying for? H…Heroes don't…cry.." He mumbled, managing to give a small smile, before his eyes closed again.

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Tifa was sitting in her room, quietly writing down what had happened that day.

**Diary,**

**We finally found Cloud, after almost three days. He's in such bad shape, and I'm afraid what might happen to him. But I'm glad that we still found him. Vincent said he was dehydrated and lost half his blood. I could understand how he could tell that he was thirsty; but not exactly how much blood he lost. Zomg…Is Vinnie REALLY a vampire? That would explain a lot…**_ Find my killer. Find my killer. Find my killer. Find my killer. Find my killer._

Tifa stared down in horror at the different handwriting, as she continued to write those words, as if something was controlling her. She grew more terrified when she couldn't stop writing. She screamed at the top of her lungs, as amazingly, Vincent was the first one on scene.

" I can't stop! I can't stop writing!" She yelled, as her hand continued to write, and wouldn't stop, as it went out of control. Vincent tore her hand away, picking up the diary, staring at the three words being written over and over, then at the new message, written in a different, crusty ink.

He took his pointer finger, as some of the ink came off, then sniffed it. His eyes went wide.

" Tifa…This is blood."

She stared in shock at him, as he handed the book back, and she stared at the message.

DEATH TO MY BETRAYER.

DEATH TO MY BETRAYER.

MUDERER.

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Me: ZOMG! That's intense. Well, to me anyways. Who do you think the murderer is? And keep in mind, murderer is usually used for a guy too…Boy, aeris is angry. But why did she choose Tifa? And is anyone else having wacko dreams and losing control of their limbs? PLEASE REVIEW! Who do you think the murderer is?


	4. Configuration

Me: Again, I don't own FF7. And I think I only have a few more chapters on this story…Maybe like..3..5 tops…

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Cloud woke up in a room he didn't recognize. He blinked his eyes a few times, before a bright light suddenly blinded him.

" What are you DOING?" He coughed, as a little bit of blood trickled down his chin.

" Cloud- are you OK?" Yuffie asked, then perked up as if remembering something.

" Oh yeah- Tifa has gone a little physcho- or so Highwind told me…Having dreams of the future and her limbs being controlled by someone else…He said someone murdered Aeris."

" Yeah… The Clones."

" No. As in someone in AVALANCHE."

Cloud's eyes shot open and he sat up to quickly, and pain shot up from his legs, as he started coughing up blood again.

Yuffie gently pushed him back down, scolding him softly, as she got a warm washcloth and wiped off the blood.

" Cloud- sorry."

" Sorry for what?"

" We didn't find you sooner…It's our fault for not sending someone after you…So…Sorry, I guess." Yuffie's eyes turned a little darker, and she had a faraway look surrounding her. He could tell something was wrong.She opened her mouth as if to say something to him, and he saw her stare at her hands.

" Yuff…?"

Suddenly, the smile was once again back in place as she grinned like an idiot.

" Get better soon Mr. Chocobo!" She laughed, walking out.

He sat silent for a few moments, wondering what could have happened to her. He was struck with a thought that made him shiver…Poor Yuffie…Had the single white rose of Wutai witness Aeris's murder? Or…No…Could she…Could she had possibly been the one to MURDER Aeris?

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Yuffie sat in her room, staring at the wall.

Her heart was beating fast, as she calculated the idea one more time in her head, then shut her eyes slowly.

She knew something, and almost spilled it out to Cloud.

Now only if she could keep it a secret until someone chose to believe her.

Because she knew.

She knew who the murderer was.

Now all she had to do was survive for awhile before they- the murderer- found out.

She sat up quickly, then rushed to the door.

She knew who she could tell, who to trust.

Yuffie ran down the hall towards the last room, and slowed down, turning the corner, and running smack into Tifa.

" Hi Yuffie." Tifa said cheerfully.

" H-hi T-tifa! G-gotta go!" Yuffie said, scrambling to her feet towards the last door, and hitting it with all her might. Tifa stared on confused, then shook her head in dismay.

" We've got to stop letting her get to so much sugar."

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When he realized that the pounding on his door wouldn't cease, Vincent slowly rose and shuffled lightly over to the door, betting on who it was, as he swung the door open.

" Yuffie how many time- OOF!"

He was sent hurling backwards with the black ball, and ended up in the most terrifying and awkward position with Yuffie, who blushed, and quickly untangled herself.

" Vincent! I have something VERY VERY important to tell you!" She half whispered.

" Yuffie how many times have I told you-"

" I know who the murderer is."

Vincent shut up immediantly.

" What?" He asked in awe.

" The Clones didn't kill her… Well, you already know…But Vincent, you can't tell any other living soul. That includes the freaky bats that you might have in your closet. And plants. And dead plants."

Yuffie leaned over whispering into his ear, and watched as his eyes shot wide open.

" Are you sure…?" Vincent whispered.

Yuffie nodded her head.

That's when they heard Tifa yelling from her bedroom, and Vincent rushed off at the speed of light. Yuffie could hear her screaming loud and clear.

" I can't stop! I can't stop writing!"

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Me: Zomg, Vincent and Yuffie know who the killer is… Is it obvious now?

PLEASE REVIEW! And tell me if you know who the killer is IN YOUR REVIEW PLEASE! I want to see how smart you people are…

But thanks for sticking with me through these four chapters, you peoples make me feel special…THANK YOU/ DOMO ARIGATO!


	5. Tragedy

Disclaimer! I don't own FF7.

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After Tifa's incident, everyone in AVALANCHE was watching and staying away from her. She was starting to feel like an outcast, or an emo child of the streets.

The only people that came through the bar were the customers, and they gave her odd looks too. Finally, one day, she couldn't stand it any longer.

" Cid…"

" AAH! W- Oh its you. What the $# do you want?"

" Why is everyone avoiding me?"

"…"

Cid looked down for a second, then with the most sincerest voice she had ever heard he said,

" Everyone is afraid about what's happening with you. Y'know, half the people on this ship are superstitious. Don't take it offensively, but they just don't want to end up like you with their limbs being controlled by supernatural forces, and having visions. We still love Ya like a teammate. Just a lot has been going on. Don't worry, it won't stay like this forever." He then gave his super everything-is-OK-quit-worrying-so-much smile.

Tifa left, feeling a little better about herself. It was then that she bumped into Yuffie.

" Hi Yuffs!" She said cheerfully. Yuffie screamed and ran away, falling all over the place. She watched her, shaking her head, feeling a little worse then she had before.

She wished all of this would be over. Meanwhile, she went back to serving people in the bar, and had to kick a drunkard out for slapping her bottom.

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A few hours later, at about 10PM, a knock was heard on Yuffie's door. She happily got up, and swung it open with a huge smile on her face, which dropped immediantly as a hooded figure took off its cloak and revealed itself. She tried to scream, but her throat was cut off at her Adam's Apple, and the hand was still there as it crushed the bone in her larynx .

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Everyone seemed to notice the ninja's absence the next morning, because everything was quieter. In fact, it was deadly quiet.

" Will someone go check on the brat?" cid asked, noticing the silence.

Nobody moved, so Vincent got up, and walked onto the deck.

A few minutes later, he came rushing back in, his face a deadly pale, as he grabbed Cid and Tifa's hands, rushing back out again.

Another few minutes went by, and they heard Tifa screaming her head off, as the rest of the crew joined them.

Tifa was sitting on the ground rocking back and forth, sobbing, shivering, and in a huddling position.

Yuffie was on the ground, hand on the bathroom door, trying to get to the other side to an emergency escape door, and that was evident by the blood spilt on the ground. Her eyes were half way open, her face blue; apparently she had suffered awhile before passing on. Her hand was over her neck where a blood was seeping through her fingers; it was only running because of the warmth of the summer night. Vincent carefully removed her hand to reveal the twisted neck.

Tifa shakily got up, hanging onto the guardrail, sobbing softly, trying to breathe, as the sky around her wobbled. She made it into the kitchen where she collapsed into a shriveled heap on the floor behind the door. Luckily, the bar didn't open for another 2 hours, so no one saw her cry.

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After Yuffie's blood was cleaned from her face and hair, nobody could figure out where to bury her. If they went to Wutai, then they would be killed for killing royalty.

If they buried her in the ground, then some animal would get to her. And particuraly, nobody knew HOW to bury her…And that's when Cloud's first brilliant idea popped into his head.

" Anyone have a Phoenix Down?" He asked.

They looked up suddenly, eyes wide, as Cid pulled one out of his pocket.

" We can revive her." Cloud said.

Then Vincent asked,

" Why didn't you use this on Aeris?"

Everyone went silent, staring at Cloud.

" Because materia isn't as strong as an Ancient. It wouldn't have any effect on her. Only certain ones, like the black, white, and fire material have effect on her. Not Summons."

Cid got up, leading everyone lese to Yuffie's room.

He called out the summon, and watched as it dove down into her, as her body twitched, and her eyes opened.

" Ow…My throat…It tingles and burns…Why is everyone in my room?"

" We're glad your back Yuffie." Vincent spoke up, giving a small half smile.

" Back from what- OH! I was murdered last night! ZOMG!" Yuffie said, freaking out, as she speedily got back up.

" Yuffs! Where are you going?!" Cid yelled.

" I'M GOING TO GET MY KILLER!" she yelled back.

Everyone's eyes went wide as they ran after her. They were all thinking the same thing:_Is it someone in AVALANCHE?_

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Whoop! Next chapter, the killer is gonna be found out!

I have a feeling you people already know who it is, so WHY AREN'T YOU REVIEWING?!!!!

Whats really sad is someone has been a member of this site for 7 years, and they only have 30 reviews, while someone else has been on for only 3 and have gotten 385.

I would like to have the second choice, with at LEAST 30 reviews this year.

Anyways…Keep tuning in because I write a lot, and this story could be over by tomorrow…THANKS FOR 187 HITS!!!! All in like a week…That's friggin awesome.


	6. Escaping

Me: Don't own FF7…I think this might be the last chapter to this story…

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Everyone ran after Yuffie, who had run into the kitchen.

" YOU BIT88! YOU SON OF A BIT88!" They heard Yuffie yell. They stopped wide eyed, hearing her curse for the first time, but Cloud and Vincent ran on. They skidded to a stop at the kitchen/bar door, watching Yuffie and Tifa fighting.

" YUFFIE! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" Tifa yelled, struggling to keep her at arms distance.

" Yuffie ! Stop it!" Cloud yelled.

" SHE KILLED ME! SHE KILLED ME AND AERIS!" She screamed hysterically.

Vincent ran over to Yuffie, holding her back, but she bit his human arm, drawing blood, then smacked her head into his, dropped down, banging her elbows into his stomach, and he let go of her upon the pain, then she turned around, punched him in the nose, and kneed him in the groin before she ran to Tifa and continued the fight.

Vincent dropped to the floor for a second , silently cursing under his breath before he waved his claw to Cloud.

" we..We've got …to stop her." He said painfully.

Cloud smirked for a second, then it disappeared at the evil look Vincent was shooting him.

Cloud lunged at Yuffie, holding her arms back in a full nelson, and Vincent ran over, grabbing her feet. She was screaming, holding back to tears, as she struggled to become free. She stopped half an hour later, her head resting in Cloud's arms, worn out from fighting, and her face sticky from tears and sweat.

The whole crew was sitting in the parlor, waiting for Vincent to come back after he carried the sleeping Yuffie off to the living room; her room was still soaked in blood, and he doubt she would ever want to go back there again.

When he finally took his seat, Cid came back from the laundry room.

" I found this behind the washer." He said, holding up a bloody glove.

All eyes turned to Tifa.

" I cut my hand while washing the dishes." She snapped.

" Guess we'll find out when this baby goes to the crime labs." Cid said, taking out his cell phone, and going into another room.

Tifa stared angrily at the group.

" Tifa…I'm not usually one to accuse but, why did you want to harm Yu-"

" I DIDN'T KILL ANYONE!" She snapped at Vincent, throwing her chair back into a wall.

" WHY WON'T YOU EVER LISTEN TO MY SIDE OF THE STORY INSTEAD OF ASSUMING THINGS!" She yelled, tears streaming down her face.

" Tifa…" Cloud whispered, reaching out to her, but she slapped it away.

" YOU! DON'T YOU EVEN TRY TO SUFFOCATE ME WITH THAT ACT! YOU HAD THE CHANCE TO DO THAT EVEN BEFORE MISS GAINSBOROUGH CAME BACK! BECAUSE OF HER YOU NEVER KNEW THAT I –"

Suddenly, a huge streak of lightning and a loud crash of thunder covered up her words, and the electricity went out for a second. When the lights came back on, Tifa wasn't there.

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A few days later, sunrise , 5: 30 AM

Cid knocked on Cloud's and Vincent's door, then ordered them down to the empty kitchen below.

" Guys…I sent the glove to a crime lab in Hiroshima a few days ago…" He drifted off, looking into space.

Cloud's heart was racing, and his hands went clammy.

" S…She…Really did it?" He asked shakily.

Cid stared at him, sadness permanently registered in his eyes.

" Cloud…"

" Oh god no." He mumbled, hands shakily moving through his hair.

" God no,no,no,no…." He sobbed, his face turning red, and his eyesight going blurry.

He felt a soft tap on his back, and he turned around to see Cid and Vincent , both their hands on his shoulders.

" Cloud…We have to go get her," Vincent said.

For once, Cloud could see only regret in his eyes.

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Tifa had packed her things, as she cautiously opened her door. Barret had guarded her dorm all night, and she heard him snoring outside.

She sneaked through the door, stepping around his hand.

Halfway in the air, the snoring stopped.

She froze, holding her breath, as he turned over on his side, and resumed sleeping.

She breathed in, walking quietly past him, then running down the balconey.

She had almost reached the ending of the ship, when someone grabbed her from behind.

She whipped around, giving the person a good blow to its neck pressure point, and watched the form of Cid Highwind plummet to the floor.

She quietly walked around him, but not before his hand shot up, grabbing her ankle, and she screamed as she fell to the floor.

" Where ya goin' Tif? Got someone you were gonna' meet?Or are ya' runnin' away from something?" He whispered, and felt her pulse quicken.

She pushed him off, running towards the door, as Cid yelled something, and she was almost there when Vincent jumped in the way.

Tifa quickly dodged him, drop kicking him in the side of the head, then hit him in 5 pressure points, then punched him in the side of the head, before heading to the door again, then she flung it open and stepped right into Cloud's arms.

" Tifa…Don't try to run…" He said to her, his voice calm, as he stroked her hair, then " spocked" her.

Her eyes widened for a second before she collapsed fully onto him, and he carried her out bridal style, to where the other two were waiting.

" Cloud, are you alright?" Vincent asked, noting the tears forming in his eyes.

" Fine." He said, walking past them .

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I lied! Its not the last chap! But please review! Oh- and thanks for 400 HITS!!

Ed: Dr. Spock is the guy off Star Trek. He use to knock people out by pinching their shoulder muscle pressure point. To SPOCK someone is to knock them out in that way..


	7. Memoirs

Me: Okay! Last chap! I promise!

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Tifa woke up a few minutes later, laying on a sofa, seeing Cloud, Cid, and Vincent staring down at her.

" Why?" Vincent spoke.

" …" Tifa could feel more tears welling up, and she spoke slowly.

" Because…Yuffie …Aeris visited Yuffie and told her who her murderer was…And I only knew because…That's what it said in my diary…What she made me say."

" Why would she write it down in your diary and not keep it quiet?" Cid asked.

" She…made a compromise with Yuffs…That if she told me, and she let me kill her…Then I would be found out…And after that diary incident, I bumped into Yuffs, and I saw the fear in her eyes…So I had to destroy her."

" call her Yuffie." Cloud spoke out.

" Why?"

" You don't deserve to call her by her nickname. As far as I'm concerned, friends who murder their friends usually aren't that close afterwards."

" Look! I was just-"

" Why did you kill Aeris?" Cloud spoke again.

" Be…Because…" Tifa whispered, her face going red.

" BECAUSE WHY?! WHY?!" He yelled, lunging towards her, but the other two restraining him.

" Because I was jealous."

Cloud stared at her in awe.

" you were JEALOUS? You killed her because you were JEALOUS?"

" LOOK YOU STUPID BLONDE! YOU COMPLETELY IGNORED ME WHEN SHE CAME BACK! I DON'T EVEN THINK YOU SPOKE TO ME WHEN SHE WAS HERE! WHENEVER I APPROACHED YOU LITTLE MISS ANCIENT BIT88 WOULD POP OUT OF NOWHERE AND ALWAYS SAY " OH CLOUD, DO YOU WANT TO GO PLAY WITH THE CHILDREN", OR " OH CLOUD DO YOU WANT TO ACCOMPANY ME ON MY TRIP TO ROCKET CITY!" She yelled.

" B..But she asked me that when no one was around-"

" PSH! NO ONE AROUND! I HAD JUST TALKED TO HER AND I WAS IN THE BAR WHEN SHE WENT IN TO THE NEXT ROOM TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT IT! AND SHE SAID IT LOUD ENOUGH SO ALMOST THE WHOLE DAM888 SHIP HEARD IT! BECAUSE OF HER, I DIDN'T EXIST! BECAUSE OF HER, I WAS OFTEN INGNORED AND PUT ASIDE! AND BECAUSE OF HER, I NEVER GOT TO SAY THAT I LOVED YOU!" She yelled, then quickly covered her mouth.

The three stared at her in shock.

" Woah…Didn't see that one coming." Cid said, then stopped when Vincent elbowed him.

" Tifa…" Cloud said softly , his voice full of pain and pity, as he reached out and touched her face, wiping away the few tears that had strayed down her face.

" Why…Why didn't you tell me…"

" You…Y-you were always with Aeris."

" Oh god Tifa, I'm so sorry." He mumbled, sitting down next to her.

" Cloud you know the penalty for killing a member of the team." Vincent said, then choked a little as Cid roughly elbowed him in the ribs.

" Ssh…Their having their moment." He whispered, ignoring Vincent's look.

" I've been wanting to tell you for so long…It's just…You and Aeris seemed much closer and I thought I wouldn't have a chance." She sobbed.

Cloud stared at her, no longer angry, as he drew her closer.

" Tifa…It's true that I did like Aeris a lot, but I was only so close to her because she had just come back…I wanted her to know she was welcomed and loved…But after the first time she died, and I was talking to you, realized…She never even really loved me…I was just hired as a bodyguard, and we only agreed on one date…Tifa, I didn't wander after her anymore.So, I'm sorry for making it seem like I was only chasing after her…Tifa, I love you too…I want to protect you. I think, I think I love you more then I ever loved Aeris." He whispered, looking up quickly to Vincent and Cid, who took there cue and left.

He lifted up Tifa's chin, and slowly brought his lips to hers, savoring the sweet taste of the strawberry balm she had put on, and even felt a small bit of her tongue, which tasted like mint, and it reminded him of a winter's day, when the peppermint plants would raise out of the ground before Spring began.

When they finally broke apart, Tifa stared longingly into his rich eyes.

" But Tifa…You know the penalty for killing a member…" He said softly.

" Hai…I know." She whispered.

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The next day, Tifa walked out blindfolded, and her hands tied back behind her,

and stepped in front of Vincent, who wasn't wearing his cloak or bandana, only wearing black. Cid and Cloud had done the same.

" Tifa…We are only doing this under AVALANCHE rules…Believe us, we searched all night through the documents searching for a loophole." He said slowly, reaching for the handle of Death Penalty, pulled the gun out, and lightly put it against her head.

He could feel the vibrations of her racing heart through the gun, and saw the sweat mixing with the tears running down her face; the shaking of her body.

His hand wavered for a split second, but nobody caught it before he remained his composure.

" Tifa Lockheart…Receiving maximum sentence for violating Chapter 402, Sect 35, paragraph 15…Of murdering a teammate…" Again, his hand wavered for a second, but he quickly regained his composure, and kept on reciting.

" Maximum sentence for crime and reason based upon AVALANCHE regulations…Death by lethal weapon…Reason based upon scripture in the Holy Bible, an eye for an eye, a hand for a hand, an ear for an ear,etc.,etc. from Exodus 21:24,

and so thereforward, a body for a body." He said, tensing his finger on the trigger. Tifa was whimpering slightly, shaking a little bit more, the blindfold becoming wet from the tears and the sweat pouring down.

His finger trembled slightly, as he pulled the trigger back a little more, and the eerie silence before something bad happened, had appeared.

Tifa had had noticed the deathly silence, and sobbed out loud, falling to the ground, but only being stood back up and held by Cloud. Her sobs were becoming louder and more desperate sounding.

Vincent's composure on his face dropped to a deep frown, then to a troubled look.

" Cloud…I can't…I can't do this to her."

He stared at him in shock.

" I've killed people who didn't deserve to die, and I hate to admit it, but I've killed a child before…But have never killed a woman who only murdered someone to be loved…I've never killed one of my friends…And I haven't had a lot of friends in my life."

Cloud looked down.

" Theres nothing we can do. Someone has to do it."

Suddenly Cid appeared in front of them, looking happy.

" I FOUND A LOOPHOLE!" He shouted.

" See?! It says in the Editor's note, that if the persons that was murdered was dead before and came to life is actually still considered dead until the first 10 months is up, because when a woman is pregnant that's when new life is born in the ninth or tenth month! Aeris was only here for 8! So that doesn't count as a murder! And that goes the same for someone who was alive then dead then came to life! Because, that's basically the same thing Aeris was! Tifa gets to live!"

Tifa turned her head slightly, and everyone sensed the relief in her aura.

Cloud took off the blindfold, and undid the rope on her hands, as she hugged him tightly, and he ran his hand through her hair.

" Where is everyone else?" Cid asked, now noticing that no one had even showed up the last few days.

" I sent them to tour a different world, and to go the Golden Saucer. I made hotel and flight reservations too." Vincent said.

They stared at him.

" I wanted to make sure they weren't coming back for awhile."

Tifa looked longingly back into Cloud's eyes, and they started kissing for awhile, as Vincent and Cid snuck away.

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Cid was laying in his dorm that night, with Tifa's head resting on his shoulder.

He felt more overjoyed then he ever had in his life, and he felt like weeping out of sheer happiness. But he didn't want to appear weak.

He could feel the tears in his eyes, but he pushed them back.

He wasn't going to cry. He had never cried when Aeris died, nor when he thought he was going to die.

He closed his eyes for a few moments, then opened them to see a glwing pale green and blue light surrounding the form of Aeris.

Aeris.

His eyes went wide,still staring at her.

" Hello Cloud. " She said sweetly.

" A..Eris? He asked in awe.

" I' glad you finally told her. I was wondering when you would finally talk to her."

" What?"

" Cloud…Thank you for finally silencing the cries of her heart…She loved you so much, I could always tell when she looked at you… I was hoping you two would get together."

" Because we never really loved…"

" Exactly Cloud. But …I sense that you are so happy, but you are holding back your tears…Cloud…Go ahead. Its ok to cry every once in awhile." She said, smiling with her eyes closed.

" Cloud…Who are you talking to?" Tifa mumbled tiredly. He looked down at her for a second, then back up to see Aeris had disappeared.

" I…Was just talking to myself…Go ahead and rest." He said softly, stroking her hair, letting the tears fall.

END/ Chapter 7

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ME: Wow…Drama…I'm use to doing funny stuff, so of course I had to add a few humorous lines…Well, they were humorous to me. Thanx to all my friends… sweatdrop…Mainly Anime-Kitty-Am-I…Who I have several messages for..RESPOND TO MY EMAIL ALREADY!!!! And I'm visiting for 3 weeks from March 24- 3 weeks after that…ahaha.

Keep writing reviews! I appreciate you people for giving your opinions! And once again, thanks for 400 HITS!!!

- EternallySerenity


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